The Risks of Eating Restaurant Guacamole and Salsa

Visit a Mexican restaurant and your waitress will almost surely bring a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa for dipping. When you receive your entree or salad, youll probably see a scoop of guacamole sauce made from avocados perched tantalizingly on the side. Before blindly dipping your tortilla chip into one of these colorful sauces, consider this statistic. Almost four percent of foodborne illnesses over a ten year period came from restaurant guacamole or salsa. When you eat these dips, you may get more than you bargained for - like a bad case of food poisoning.

Restaurant Salsa and Guacamole: A Common Cause of Foodborne Illness

According to results from the CDC, one in twenty cases of restaurant foodborne illness from 1998 to 2008 came from restaurant guacamole or salsa tainted with bacteria. Why the surprisingly high number? Salsa and guacamole dip sauces are made from ingredients such as tomatoes, peppers, avocadoes, and other uncooked offerings that are perfect set-ups for bacterial contamination. If they arent refrigerated properly, they become a Petri dish for unsavory bacteria such as Salmonella that cause foodborne illness. Mexican restaurant chains such as Taco Bell and Taco Johns have been the focus of lawsuits in the past relating to cases of foodborne illness.

Why Are Restaurant Gaucamole and Salsa Such a Common Cause of Foodborne Illness?

Theyre made from raw ingredients that are hand chopped and diced - and are frequently made in large quantities. When theres bacterial contamination of an ingredient, it can easily be transmitted to the entire batch during the preparation process. Some restaurants dont refrigerate these freshly made sauces quickly enough - or at cold enough temperatures. Restaurant employees are often in a hurry to get the food ready and out on the table, which means they may not be using safe food preparation practices.

Is It Safe to Eat Restaurant Gaucamole and Salsa?

Ideally, its best to make it at home where you clean the raw ingredients yourself and ensure its properly refrigerated. If youre still tempted to dip your chips into restaurant salsa, check the sanitation reports for a restaurant online before eating a meal there. This doesnt guarantee you wont get sick, but it gives you a better idea of their sanitation practices. Take the time to do it. A little homework and undercover investigation could save you a few extra trips to the bathroom - or, worse, a trip to the hospital.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20100712/salsa-guacamole-transmit-foodborne-illnesses